Reason Staff Live Tweets the 2012 Republican Convention Now!

Join the Reason staff right here, right now as we opine, weep, and snark our way though the prime time 2012 Republican National Convention coverage. The evening's schedule is here. Highlights include a Ron Paul video shortly after 7 and vice presidential nominee to be Paul Ryan in the 10 o' clock hour.

Don't forget to check back in tomorrow night for more of the same!

Comments

[darius404]

No mention of foreign policy in the Paul tribute video.

That's because people serially (and perhaps intentionally) misunderstand Paul's stance. I seriously saw a commenter on another site today claim that they liked everything about Paul's positions except for his foreign policy, because "he said he wouldn't defend us if we were attacked". Really.

[Paleo-ConAvenger]

The LP needs to really reach out to the Tea Party and fiscal conservatives if we stand a chance of forming a vibrant 3rd party next time around. Vote GOP for House and Senate if they aren't McCain types, while we create a coalition party of conservatives and libertarians.

[Jerry on the road]

So we drink everytime #GOP2012 is mentioned?

[A Serious Man]

There was another earthquake in Yorba Linda today. Will the GOP be sacrificing a virgin to appease the spirit of Nixon?

[jacob the barbarian]

Then we are doomed, there are no virgins in Yorba Linda!

[Broseph of Invention]

If the RNC wouldn't have shunned the Virgin Islands delegation due to its Ron Paul support, there would be plenty to go around.

[darius404]

Uh, I can't watch the feed anymore. It now says:

Unfortunately, this event has reached
the capacity set by the host.

Please let the host know you would
like to join and check back to see if
more space opens up!

[darius404]

Oh, it's back. Thank you comments thread!

[Paul.]

What's Suderman's [unhealthy] fascination with Edward Norton?

[Paul.]

To get back on topic.

Suderman: I am obviously pleased to see Rand Paul making a big deal of opposition to ObamaCare. But do we really think Romney will repeal it?

Dude, ROMNEY doesn't think he'll repeal it. He's just throwing that bone out there to pick up a few skeptical tea party votes. Other than that, I hope he has his concession speech in order.

[A Serious Man]

His slogan is "Repeal and Replace" and since I doubt there will be a GOP landslide in the fall that means Mittens, if elected, will compromise with the Democrats on a new healthcare law.

[Paul.]

if elected, will compromise with the Democrats on a new healthcare law.

So the white, rhythm-less version of "Don't end it, mend it"?

[Lucy Steigerwald]

Sometimes I forget that's not really a picture of him.

[Paul.]

I was really, really reluctant to go there, but (and this is not intended as an insult to Mr. Suderman's looks who is a perfectly fine looking individual) but he doesn't fancy himself to look like Edward Norton... because he doesn't. At all.

[Corning]

My guess is he out it there as a joke, then forgot how to change it and is afraid to ask for help.

[Paul.]

Interesting theory, but can't be true. Last live-tweet event Suderman had a different Edward Norton Avatar.

Maybe he's got a directory full of Edward Norton pics and can't change the target directory in his tweet settings.

[A Serious Man]

I'm sure by 2016 technology will be sufficiently advanced for a holographic and sentient Reagan to regale the convention with stories of the glorious 1980s.

[Paul.]

Or maybe at Joe Biden's inauguration.

[jacob the barbarian]

even the libtards ain't that stupid

[SKR]

Matt and Lucy into the thunderdome.

[Lucy Steigerwald]

I wish I was down there! If this process is happening, I want to see the weirdness in person.

[SKR]

Um i was referring to the lone beer conundrum. You know "two men enter one man leaves?" No? God I feel old now.

[SKR]

Maybe I should have said Matthew instead.

[Lucy Steigerwald]

His name is Feeney! Matt=Matt.

[Paleo-ConAvenger]

Rand nailed it. He smooth talked and warmed up the crowd just enough that when he repeated each one of his dad's talking point, the entire crowd was on his side.

[JeremyR]

Yup. His father always had a tin ear when speaking to Republicans that weren't his fans, but Rand knows how to keep the crowd on his side

[np]

catching up with PAULFest and RP Rally instead...
great Ron Paul tribute by Tom Woods at PAULFest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWeG30xyZXc
(ah.. Sumerian libertarians in 3000 B.C... who knew?)

[Lucy Steigerwald]

It's heartening to see how few of you are commenting.

You guys give me hope for America.

[Christina]

Policy is interesting. Politics is not.

[Corning]

Today is a day you should ask for a raise.

"Hey Nick you just made me twitter the god damn Republican Convention. Give me more money"

[SKR]

Aww c'mon, it's like slowing down to look at an accident of the highway.

[Fist of Etiquette]

LIVE BLOG!

[Lucy Steigerwald]

I always want to try my hand, but I am just too slow with the blarging.

[Paul.]

It's heartening to see how few of you are commenting.

Only those of us who are single are commenting.

[Atanarjuat]

Damn it. You're right.

[Broseph of Invention]

🙁

[SKR]

Lies!!!

My woman is just still at work.

[Francisco d Anconia]

My wife is home...

...but she doesn't really like me.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

I'm married, but my wife is studying for her CPA exam so I have to be quiet. Plus, we put the TV in storage until after the CPA exam, and after I take the LSAT. So all I have are you anonymous strangers on the internet, many of whom I like more than people I know in real life. Plus, I've had a few Jim Beams, and I made a delicious chicken Alfredo for dinner.

[Paul.]

By parsing your message, you're not old enough to be married. There's an intervention in your future.

So all I have are you anonymous strangers on the internet, many of whom I like more than people I know in real life.

Your wife already suspects this...

[Broseph of Invention]

Be careful, friend. Taking the LSAT was the biggest mistake of my life. This night gets darker and darker.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Yeah. Who needs more lawyers, right? Actually, I was inspired by Baylen Linneken and the work he's doing for keep food legal. I was thinking of getting into defending property owners against eminent domain actions. I have a superior attitude and a smart mouth, so becoming a lawyer seems a natural fit.

[Broseph of Invention]

He does good work. A few of my Fed Soc friends from law school work/worked for IJ, Cato, and EFF, and they're all really happy. It sounds like you want to be one of the lawyers we have to few of, not too many of (i.e. myself).

[EDG reppin' LBC]

What sort of law do you practice?

[Broseph of Invention]

I actually just transferred back into engineering, but for a while I was an in-house patent attorney. I still do a little public interest on the side, but I'm not licensed to practice in the state in which I live, so it's difficult. I'd like to eventually do public interest work, but I'm a lousy litigator. What kind of work are you in now?

[EDG reppin' LBC]

I was selling residential real estate. I finally got a college degree (Finance) so now I'm trying to get into commercial RE finance. In the meantime, I thought I'd sit for the LSAT, and see where that takes me.

[Broseph of Invention]

That sounds like a good plan, not that I'm in a position to judge. I guess it's not so much the sitting for the LSAT as the choice between the doors it opens.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

I figure I'm 35 minutes away from UCLA, USC, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount, Southwestern, and Chapman law schools. I should at least give it a shot.

[jacob the barbarian]

someone give this man a hand

[Killazontherun]

There's a political convention going on I could have been watching instead 45 year old episodes of The Prisoner this evening? Why has Reason not been covering this?

[db]

Well, a number of early comments seem to have been disappeared...

[db]

Or maybe I'm watching the wrong thread. I could swear the comments from this thread got moved to the Kibbe thread. huh.

[Corning]

Twitter + Republican convention = suicide

[Lucy Steigerwald]

I find that it helps me pay attention, which (sadly) my job mandates. But twitter has lots of cranky libertarians who hate all this stuff, too!

[Corning]

Jesse walker

I don't think the "Oscar presenter" style really works at a political convention. (Or at the Oscars, for that matter.)

I think they should do it like the price is right. Similar, but really not.

[Sevo]

'Say the magic werd, win a hunnert dollars'

[Corning]

Matt Welch quoting some Ron Paul delegate:

"I believe that international bankers are controlling what goes on in this country."

Holy fuck tits!!!!

I think we have a tweet winner!!!

Note: If Matt Walsh of reason magazine ever interviewed me for anything about anything i am pretty sure i would say exactly the same thing if only for the lolz.

[Sevo]

Corning| 8.29.12 @ 8:34PM |#
"Matt Welch quoting some Ron Paul delegate:
"I believe that international bankers are controlling what goes on in this country.""
Pretty sure he isn't real familiar with RP's comments on the issue.
Hope Matt finds a noisy Obama delegate at the Dem kerfuffle; should be fun.

[Paul.]

But what if Matt Welch interviewed you?

[Archduke PantsFan]

So, is tonight the elimination round?

[Sevo]

I'm not gonna do it, but if someone finds a link to the old WWF rules, I'd bet there's enough similarities to raise some eyebrows.

[Corning]

Scott Shackford

I completely zoned out because somebody tweeted me that oil companies having eminent domain authority is a critical need.

So oil company comes along...and I quickly fill out a quit claim deed to my new LLC

Corning's crazy oil company LLC

It also would be a great way to buy up my neighbors land who keep dumping their lawn clippings in my back YARD!!!

[Paul.]

Those lawn clippings will become sweet crude in about 100,000 years. Dump away.

[SKR]

Yeah but they will be good fertilizer for the garden in the meantime.

[Cenotaph]

Just so you guys know, I'm counting the number of derogatory posts you're making about the GOP during their convention. I'll do the same during the Dem convention.

So I suggest you don't wear out your keyboards this week, because if the numbers don't match, I'm busting the myth that you guys aren't just a bunch of covert Dem operatives shilling by omission.

[Gannicus]

I have a feeling more commenters will have their heart in it for the Dem convention. Just imagine Obama's speech in your mind.

[Corning]

Just imagine Obama's speech in your mind.

I'll be in my bunk.

[Cenotaph]

I'm hoping to be disproven. But for most journos, the Beltway dinner party circuit is too sweet a perk to risk for the slim reward of intellectual honesty. If the host is subscribed to you on Twitter and you rip the empty suit in chief, you may find your ordurves cut off early.

[Beefkins]

Ordurves? Really?

[Broseph of Invention]

Don't worry, Sloopy will take care of this.

[Killazontherun]

Just so you know, I'll keep sticking my dick in your ear until you complain about that too. So far, you haven't said a word about it, so I assume you must like it.

[Cenotaph]

Because making notes of what people publicly write is just like aural rape. Judging by your appetite for coercion, is there a (D) after your name too?

[Killazontherun]

I didn't hear you say 'no'.

[darius404]

Ooh, self-parody. That's so neo-post-modern.

[Suthenboy]

"...the myth that you guys aren't just a bunch of covert Dem operatives shilling by omission."

I am lost. I thought the myth was that we are a bunch of Republican operatives. Huh?

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Hence, the paradox of the libertarian. Liberals think we're fascists, intent on destroying America by enslaving the poor and minorities. Conservatives think we're hippies, intent on destroying America by legalizing drugs and gays.

[SIV]

Condi would have been far better than Paul TARP-Boy Ryan.

[Broseph of Invention]

I agree, but I don't think the GOP would have heard the end of the diversity card stuff, especially after gambling with Palin four years ago.

[Paul.]

And the GOP is going to crack down on Gambling if Romney wins. I guess they don't want a repeat of Palin.

[SIV]

Condi's greatest diversity card is not being a politician.

[Broseph of Invention]

You know, I've wondered how the experience of a diplomat compares to a politician. Both have to pander, and both probably act against their principles fairly often. I suppose the difference would be that when a diplomat sells out, it's in deference to her boss, whereas a politician does it in self-interest. I dunno.

[Cenotaph]

She wasn't a diplomat any more than Hillary is. She was a national security adviser (aka errand girl).

[Cenotaph]

She was waist deep in the Bush administration message machine shit. Errand girl for a shitty politician is even worse than politician.

[Cenotaph]

So Obama could run against Bush again? Romney would be better off chained to Todd Akin than to anyone from that clusterf*** of an administration.

[Broseph of Invention]

Mitch Daniels was OMB director. This would be a better country if Mitch Daniels was president.

[Cenotaph]

I'm not talking about who's better for the country, I'm talking about who's better for eradicating the Obola virus from our country.

[Broseph of Invention]

Never heard "Obola virus" before. But I think Mitch would have been better for getting him out of office. His record as governor trumps his mixed record as OMB director. I think Gillespie said it somewhere, but Mitch is probably as libertarian a guy this country would reasonably elect right now. I think he'd do well as VP.

[Broseph of Invention]

I pulled a groin muscle an hour ago playing tennis. The pain is accompanying these speeches nicely.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Sam feels your pain.

[Paul.]

Oh wait, the convention is going on... right now? I thought the Reason staff were just having a tweet-fest for yuks.

[Lucy Steigerwald]

Listen, we don't like it any more than you do.

[SIV]

Who the Hell is Cathy Reisenwitz?

High-heel-wearing Anarcho-capitalist. Blogger for myself. Digital Publishing Specialist for Reason.

What the fuck is a "digital publishing specialist"?

[Paul.]

What the fuck is a "digital publishing specialist"?

It's one of those occupations that evaporates when an economic bubble bursts.

[SIV]

Maybe she is a professional Twitter consultant.

[Sevo]

Paul.| 8.29.12 @ 10:26PM |#
"What the fuck is a "digital publishing specialist"?
Are you an old fart? Remember when FAXes first showed up and the receptionist was suddenly a 'tech'?
Until FAXes started working regardless of who pushed the buttons.
A DPS is a very short-lived occupation.

[Archduke PantsFan]

Someone who thinks they can pubish web pages from MS Word

[SIV]

The requested page "/profile/cathy-reisenwitz" could not be found.

I come from a neocon background and still have some neocon knee-jerk impulses. But I've come a long way, baby. Current issues that really get me going include ending the drug war, ending all military actions abroad, repealing the Patriot Act, stopping all stimulus spending and bailouts, auditing and then ending the Federal Reserve and introducing competition into our public education system toward the end of totally privatizing it.

This Reisenwitz broad is some sort of neo-conservative non-interventionist with a dead Brazen Careerist profile.

[SIV]

She's from Tornadoville , Alabama. All is forgiven Miss Reisenwitz. Welcome.

[Paul.]

Jesse Walker: This is what I wrote about Ryan when Romney tapped him:

Say what?

[Srynerson]

Now that's a news scoop!

[SIV]

I was listening to the Rand speech while driving home from Texas today.
The best part was when he referred to the old man's 1988 LP run at the 2012 GOP convention.

[Corning]

Peter Suderman

Ryan's family has a median body fat of less than 8 percent.

Suderman, time to go on a diet fatty!

[Paul.]

This year's GOP convention ratings down from 2008.

So are Romney's chances of becoming president.

*rimshot*

I am here all ze veek.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

I am here all ze veek.

What are you, a German comedian? Germans don't do comedy. Except the Holocaust, of course.

[Beefkins]

They really knocked 'em dead back then.

[Killazontherun]

++ Matt. Ryan is younger than both of us. You and I born in '68, right? We be born, RFK and King killed, Lightening crashes.

[Paul.]

Key signpost of middle age: a vice-presidential nominee is younger than you are.

It's also a signpost of your crushing personal failures-- when people dumber than you are more successful.

[Suthenboy]

That depends on how you measure success. If I were to become a nominee for any office of that sort I would be too ashamed to tell anyone.

"I was president/vice president" in my view is on par with "I am a registered sex offender".

[Russell]

A Night To Remember :

Dry Al Smith endorsed by greatest Irish Pol to come out of Wisconsin since Joe McCarthy.

[Paul.]

B.S. move by Ryan to pin an individual plant closure on Obama, or any politician.

I agree. He should have pinned all of them on Obama.

[Killazontherun]

And don't forget, Suderman, Romney also rejected the Rand Paul trillion dollars in cuts because it would, paraphrasing, take that money out of the economy.

[Paul.]

take that money out of the economy...

...and put it back into the pockets of the American people?

[Killazontherun]

That's the part Romney had trouble understanding when he said the Paul plan would hurt the economy.

[T o n y]

Paul Ryan--not ready for prime time, but on the plus side, he's the tannest person in the room.

[Broseph of Invention]

Subtle Charlie Crist slam. I noticed, Tony.

[Calidissident]

Not if Boehner is there

[Paul.]

I want a party that has a convention like an old Rat Pack variety show.

I want my candidate on the podium throwing out one-liners with a highball in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

[Archduke PantsFan]

Or the Merv Griffin show.

[Killazontherun]

That would be a worthy change up.

[Paul.]

When I interviewed Ryan in late July he said the failure of his Social Security reform plan in 2005 was due to poor communication.

According to some on the left, that's been the failure of the entire Democratic agenda. Just sayin'.

[Archduke PantsFan]

Has Paul Ryan been crying?

[Paul.]

Archduke, we're all crying.

[Corning]

Peter Suderman

More shorter Ryan: We are way too in debt because of Medicare which can never ever be cut.

In fairness the problem is that the US pays way more for health care then anyone else.

We pay more then Mexico which has no governmetn run health care system and way more then any socialist health care system.

His plan is an attempt to bring market forces in to lower health care costs.

Ryan has made this case of lowering healthcare care costs using market forces...he isn't making it in this speech (at least not overtly) but he has made it.

You should know this Suderman.

[darius404]

We pay more then Mexico which has no governmetn run health care system

Hmmm, might be something to that....

His plan is an attempt to bring market forces in to lower health care costs.

And by only fiddling with Medicare, instead of reducing or eliminating it, isn't a very good attempt; it's just better than nothing.

[Corning]

isn't a very good attempt; it's just better than nothing.

Go read Suderman's article he recently posted.

He does not even mention it.

By the way if you reduce health care costs to within free market or socialist costs then medicare stops being the problem.

Saying that he is not reducing it is not a true statement. Ryan is reducing it by reducing its price tag.

[Killazontherun]

Jack Kemp! DRINK! #GOP2012

So, did Jack and Newt actually do anything with that Empower America money by GOP buddies sent them back in the early 90's? The literature my pals got were sublimely glossy, got to give them that.

[Killazontherun]

money bmy GOP buddies

[SIV]

AC/DC to Zeppelin? Mitt Romney is going to take us back to the 1950s and Paul Ryan is going to take us back to the 1970s.

[Archduke PantsFan]

Everyone knows Rock attained perfection in 1974

[Killazontherun]

That was the year they pulled you out of the oxygen tent and you asked for the latest party.

[Corning]

Does anyone even listen to rock anymore?

I know no one is playing it anymore.

[SIV]

Scandinavians still play it. There is a pretty good Rock n' Roll cargo cult in Norway, Sweden and Finland

[Broseph of Invention]

I've always thought that was a dry year. Pretzel Logic was awesome, but Eno leached any goodwill that was created away.

[SIV]

I checked my iPod. It begins with AC/DC (just above Adam and the Ants) and ends with The 5.6.7.8.s (actually it ends with "Unknown Artist" but The 5.6.7.8.s are the last named band)

[Archduke PantsFan]

Led Zeppelin should be in the middle.

[Corning]

Not if he named one of his sub-directories Zeppelin.

[Corning]

Also this proves that Paul Ryan is an internet pirate.

[Broseph of Invention]

He probably spelled Zeppelin with two "l"s. Fucking asshole.

[SIV]

It is. I was looking for something cooler beginning with Z than Moynihan used in his Tweet. Frank Zappa comes under the "Fs" but I do have about 20 Angry Samoans tracks.

[Archduke PantsFan]

MIne starts with "a-ha" and ends with "the zombies" so, yeah

[Broseph of Invention]

New Wave and Mod, I like your tastes. I got The Zombies EP Collection recently, and it's about as good as anything out of England at the time.

[Archduke PantsFan]

When did rock stop doing harmonies?

[Broseph of Invention]

Maybe post-punk? Which I really love, but going from The Ramones' debut to Joy Division's, there was definitely a change.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Hahaha! I saw the 5678's at Jabberjaw in LA in September 1993 with Red Aunts. The bands and the fans went to an after party in Mt. Washington, and I got super high. I was looking West, at the lights twinkling across the San Fernando Valley, and I was happy.

[SKR]

I think I could probably walk to whichever house that party was at. Lol.

[Corning]

What is missing is leadership in the white house.

Oh bullshit Obama has been very effective at getting his policies implemented. hell for the past year and a half he has got it done without even going through congress.

[Broseph of Invention]

Agreed. Bad decision-making =/ bad leadership, if by bad leadership we mean absence of leadership. Leadership wasn't missing in Nazi Germany. *drink*

[Paul.]

You know what else wasn't missing in Nazi Germany?

[Archduke PantsFan]

Fine Art?

[VG Zaytsev]

Universal healthcare.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Large, chunky concrete buildings?

[Paul.]

No, sillies! Leather shorts!

[Broseph of Invention]

The letter "zed"?

[Paul.]

How Canadian of you!

[Cenotaph]

Not even comparable. Hitler was extremely popular in Germany four years into his rule.

The reason Obama is doing everything by making an end run around Congress is because he can't lead. You don't have to lead when you can just write up an executive order.

[Broseph of Invention]

I know, I just wanted to drink. But I think Obama's go-around is due more to simplicity than lack of leadership. Do you really think the party would break from him? His budget being shut down is the only thing that comes to mind.

Also, who said anything about Hitler?

[Corning]

His budget being shut down is the only thing that comes to mind.

his budget was not a serious attempt at a budget.

It was a political maneuver to get other stuff he wanted.

[Corning]

"Hey everyone. Here is a Greek priest to tell you some shit."

What the fuck?!?!

[Paul.]

I'm thinking Reason is losing even the single commenters...

We're shall repair to our bunks!

[Corning]

Switching to MSNBC to watch Rachel decide whether she wants to implode or explode....

Actually she is kicking ass by calling Ryan an anti-choice extremist.

At least on the internet....no idea if what is on the internet is the same thing that is on cable.

[Francisco]

The poor fucker is lucky to be rid of the bitch and the fuckhead kids as well.

[Archduke PantsFan]

Did Condi just deny that Bush went to war over WMDs on MSNBC?t

[Archimedes]

God Bless Michelle Obama, she's made it harder for kids to have junk food for lunch.

[An0nB0t]

If her husband continues to destroy the market, she may prevent kids from having any food for lunch. Childhood obesity pandemic solved.